*This is a pretty long, boring post on my personal opinions and thoughts, it could possibly make you think and reconsider your pantry or maybe it’ll just offend you and your healthy ways.*
I prefer being healthy on the inside AND healthy looking! It’s nice to know that what you eat can have more effects on the body’s appearance than you think, as well as its internal health. You don’t have buy fancy cosmetics or face cleansers or take medication daily or worry about illness and disease when you make you’re dietary health one of your priorities.
I know there are people out there that hear me talking about what I believe is healthier for my body and health and think that I’m highly misinformed and completely ignorant, but honestly, I feel that it’s them. I feel bad for people who can’t think for them selves when it involves anything remotely important. It’s even worse, to me, when someone thinks they’re making a healthy choice and shoves it down your throat and really have no idea what it is they’re doing and why -ie. being a vegetarian and always commenting on it but eating boxed mac’n’cheese and drinking mountain dew and bingeing on drive thru french fries.
Yes, maybe I take things too far, or go over board or even just overwhelm people with such a radically different approach to my health and wellness then they’ve ever bother considering. So, I think I’m going to give you my run down of my “diet” as of today, why I do it, and why I think I’ll continue to do it and encourage all the people I love to do it.
Number 1 : What do I eat?
I eat anything I want.
The key part to my diet is: I over think EVERYTHING! Even though a certain fast food restaurant’s Southern Style Chicken Sandwich is delicious (at least it was the last time I had it), I cannot even bring myself to go near a fast food restaurant, it scares me too much. No, I don’t think I’m going to die from a rare strand of e-coli living in my hamburger meat, no I don’t think I’m gain 10 pounds from that medium french fry, no I don’t think you’re a terrible person for eating fast food; I do, however do not like the idea of animal “left overs” that have been bleached to kill all bacteria and any trace amount of nutrition left in the so-called “meat” formed into a block of food filler being my main course in my number 3 burger combo, I also can’t stand the idea of dipping my unaging potatoes fried in GMO, plastic containing frying oil into high fructose corn syrup ketchup and finishing it off with 90 packets of sugar dissolved into carbonated water. Yes, my brain really does think all of this at once at the end of a long day when I’m considering not going home and just eating an apple and a salad with a glass of carbonated mineral water.
So by saying, “I eat anything I want,” what I guess that means, is I have no desire to eat the things I shouldn’t because I’m cursed with an overly imaginative, vivid mind. But to my diet, I find eating about 85% of all of my food raw is the right way to go, eventually I hope to up that percentage. 85% leaves me room for the things that are cooked, but still good for me…and also dessert after a dinner out, like ice cream.
I LOVE eating the things that are good for me, not just because they make my body healthier, but because they are so delicious! I mean, I cannot understand why someone would rather have that greasy burrito and cinnamon pork rinds (that’s what they look like to me) when someone could eat an amazing sweet and juicy homegrown (or farmers market bought), sun ripened tomato salad and organic apples in season and a kale and banana smoothie, I mean, c’mon, honestly?! Why is our health on the bottom of our priority list? I WANT my grocery list to be one of my biggest monthly expenses! at least then I know I’m willing to make some sort of sacrifice for a longer healthier life! And really, Branden and I are spending less and less with the more things we decide to cut out and the more we find that we love! and hopefully next year I’ll have a garden and be spending even less money on groceries!
I think most of the grocery money doesn’t go to the food that we eat and go through quickly, like apple, bananas and spinach, but to the things that we buy for a week or months supply, like our Spirulina capsules, my Vitamin C, my Probiotic capsule, my Raw Vegan Protein, the things that really make that extra difference in our diets and our health are the things we SHOULD be spending money on (in my opinion).
Number 2: Why do you eat it all raw? Why not cook it?
Well, I have a few reasons I’d rather eat most of my food raw.
A) Because I think almost all vegetables and fruits taste better uncooked, raw, and closest to its most natural form, like bell peppers, I LOVE bell peppers raw, but if you cook them I hate them! Of course, cabbage on the other hand I love juiced and maybe in a mixed salad, but prefer that lightly wilted in a stir fry or in a vegetable soup. So, I don’t eat EVERYTHING raw, we’re not all perfect, okay?
B) Fruits and vegetables are more filling when they’re uncooked, so you could say I get more for my money. If you were to pull all of the stuff out for a dinner salad and eat that, you’d probably be more full and satisfied than if you were to dump that bowl into a casserole dish or stir fry pan and cook it for 15 minutes; that food wilts, looses water weight (which is so important to have), and depletes in nutrients, that doesn’t sound more satisfying to me.
C) I’m not a fan of digestive leukocytosis, it’s where you’ve cooked your food to the point where it is enzyme deficient and your body treats it as an intruder, or illness, by creating white blood cells (leukocytes), above the normal white blood cell count found in the blood, and sending them out into your body. ( which, in case you don’t know, the cause of cancer is the bodies natural healing processes has not been turned off, your body is constantly in a state of healing.) Leukocytosis is a healthy thing when you’re body IS sick and trying to fight off infection, not after every time you eat; so when you are sick or possibly in a place where you could catch something, like a day care or hospital or just work with recycled air through the indoor air conditioning, you should REALLY be eating tons and tons of raw foods (not chicken soup and jello), so your body is able to not only use all those beneficial living enzymes in the food, but also allow those leukocytes to actually do their job where it’s needed, fighting off viruses and inflammation rather than your own lunch and dinner.
The nice thing is, you don’t have to have higher white blood cell counts after every meal, if you only ate 51% raw nutrient rich foods for every meal, leukocytoses won’t occur in your body and you won’t get tired after eating and your body will be able to turn off its healing process and actually rest!
D) The most important to me, I want the living enzymes in the unadulterated foods. Cooking any plant-based food over 104 degrees kills beneficial living enzymes that are vital to your body’s health! Even lightly steaming has a huge depletion factor on food! I know, I know, LIVING enzymes in my FOOD? YES! They are SOOO important! It’s almost the biggest single reason you should eat tons and tons of raw fruits, veggies, soaked nuts and sprouted grains! The enzymes in your food are protein molecules found in each cell of that raw food, once you cook the food past 104 degrees, these enzymes start to deplete and become unusable to the body. The enzymes have a major role in proper digestion and absorption of your foods, as well as helping your body to regenerate itself.
Number 3: Are you a vegan?
No. I would love to be, but its impractical for me to try when my husband even struggles with giving up bread. I prepare most of our meals, with the exception of meals involving the grill. My husband and I both enjoy a nice steak or grilled chicken, so what we’ve decided to do was buy locally raised 100% grass-fed beef and local free range chicken. We don’t eat meat daily, or even weekly, but we do occasionally love a hefty protein packed, naturally more lean beef filet with grilled potatoes. I guess you can’t take the Indiana out of an Indiana boy, or the yum out steak. Darn.
I also struggle with dairy, if I could pick a side of the fence I’d feel more better about having a glass of milk or a bowl of yogurt or the spreadable cheese, but for now I’m sticking with the argument of “beneficial bacteria for the gut and it’s just really good.” Again, I don’t over load on the dairy, I say no at olive garden! But I just can’t seem to give up my cream in my morning tea. I am taking probiotic capsules twice a day, as well, so really my cheese is my dietary luxury at the moment. Buuuut again, I choose the best route I can, I buy 100% grass-fed organic milk, cheese and yogurt. And it’s local enough, north Indy (I want to visit the farm for a day trip some time, they have a market on Fridays with music and dinner on a patio…it sounds amazing!)
Number 5. But are you really getting enough protein?
Yes. Protein, is a big misunderstanding with most people. I’m unsure why people feel you can’t get enough protein without meat, maybe it’s because they don’t know how much your body really needs?
Body Weight (BW) Protein Needs Formula
BW in LB/2.2= BW in K
K*0.8-1.8=daily protein needs
Mine=37.45 g of protein daily (103/2.2*0.8)
If was a huge body builder or marathon runner I would use a number closer to 1.8.
Even pregnant women’s protein needs are lower than most people think. Despite protein being the main building blocks of body tissue, a pregnant womans daily protein intake increases about 10g a day, so about 50-60g total a day (if I were pregnant, which I’m not).
So if not from meat where do I get it?
Protein is almost EVERYTHING I eat. Bananas, grapefruits, coconuts, avocados (and I have to clear up the misconception that these are fattening and shouldn’t eat too many, my husband and I eat avocados almost daily and the benefits we get from its fat are fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, protein and beneficial carbs. I would rather eat a raw, healthy avocado everyday of my life than a grilled chicken breast laden with hormones or antibiotics and FAT or a white bread, mayo slathered ham sandwich.), kale, spinach, almonds, Spirulina, oranges soaked nuts, sprouted grains…they all have protein and add up pretty quick, especially the dark leafy greens. I’ve started adding a raw vegan protein to my morning smoothies for an extra boost of energy since I’ve started working a physically demanding 60 hour work week. I need the extra power right now, but normally, it’s not necessary for me.
The healing properties of food are incredible, and incredibly, that’s not new!! Food always has and always will be our answer to living a healthy, long life. “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food”. Hippocrates new it way back in 400BC! Chinese medicine, one of the oldest forms of medicine, food is one of their biggest factors in healing. Seaweed is an excellent source of nutrients and where they eat seaweed and algae as a staple in their diet, disease and illness is uncommon. (Spirulina is a blue-green algae, one of the highest sources of plant-based protein in the world) In India, they have spices, herbs and plants for healing things as major as back injuries. Something as simple as taking a shot of apple cider vinegar everyday can make a significant difference in someone digestive health and heartburn. Using coconut oil on your skin can heal skin ailments such as eczema or adding it to your smoothies in the morning can give you some beneficial fatty acids as well.
I think the most important part of anyone diet is not necessarily what you are not putting in your body, but what IS going into your body. I encourage everyone who reads this just consider what is in your food, what you don’t want to be in it, or what DO you want your food to do for you. I try not to constantly say no to myself, but to give my self excellent, healthy, delicious alternatives that make me not even want the unhealthy option, or the less healthier option. Maybe try to cut out High Fructose Corn Syrup and corn additives, or maybe take it further by only buying organic produce, and then eventually try cutting out GMO using brands and foods containing certain additives and preservatives. And then you can eventually work towards really alkalizing you’re body’s Ph level. It’s all a step by step process, and I’ll be taking steps till the end of my life probably, because our bodies change, and hopefully so will our country’s food industry.